


Offerings to Emrys

by Impala_Cherry_Trickster



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Amused Lancelot, Canon Era, Fluff, Gen, Good Morgana (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Oblivious Arthur, One Big Happy Family, Prayer, Protective Knights (Merlin), Worried Merlin (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:56:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24403186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster
Summary: A Pagan Temple, a hunt to find someone to train Morgana with her Magic, and the group decide to give an offering to Emrys. Merlin isn't impressed
Relationships: Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 119
Kudos: 1507
Collections: Emrys is a mess





	Offerings to Emrys

Occasionally, Merlin would hear people praying to him. It was quite a nice thing, really, that people believed in a human named Emrys, a child of the Gods. They called him all manner of things, begged him for help or safe guidance, to assist them on their travels. And, for the most part, Merlin could do very little for them. Sometimes he would seek them down, especially when people in Camelot prayed to him. He would try and help them, because if they had faith in the Old Religion, then he would try to uphold their beliefs.

The prayers were comforting, in a way, and Merlin let them wash over him whenever he could. Emrys, although he didn’t really feel like him, was a part of who he was. His Magic listened to the pleading of the people that still had faith, and it tried to reward them.

Then came offerings. Merlin had been shocked, when he had woken to find a dead chicken on his bed. To begin with, he thought it was Gaius trying to play an awful prank on him, before he realised that there was a voice in his head.

_‘I give you this offering, in the hope my land remains fertile. Thank you, Emrys.’_

Other offerings came. Usually in the form of food or coins, which he always stored away. Every person that gave him something, he tried to reward. He would seek them out, let his Magic gift something. Gaius watched in amusement as the gifts began to grow, as people heard that Emrys was responding to their pleads, and so they begun to request his assistance. When Merlin woke to find a live cow in his room, he’d decided it was getting slightly out of hand.

Kilgharrah had proved useful, told him he could convert the offerings into power. All he needed to do was accept their gifts, and in return, their prayers would be answered. It was a brilliant solution, Merlin could eat the chicken that appeared the next day, and the woman’s illness was healed.

Merlin settled back into a routine, able to hide the fact that people was praying to him by accepting the offers.

He should have known it would go wrong. It always did, and so when they arrived at the entrance to the broken Temple, it was Percival who halted.

‘Sire, this is a Pagan Temple.’ Arthur stopped, looked back to his Knight, then up to the building. They were supposed to be tracking down some assistance for Morgana, someone to teach her (because she could hardly admit Emrys himself had been doing that).

‘Which means?’ Gwaine questioned, eyeing up the entrance dubiously. They were all willing to give Magic a chance, which was good for him, he supposed. Not that they knew about him, none but Lancelot, who was trying to catch his eye.

‘We should probably give an offering of some sort.’ Percival had been raised by Druids, they knew that. Arthur gestured for the Knight to walk ahead, and they entered the old Temple. The moment they stepped over the threshold, Merlin’s Magic soared, sung happily and ached to break free.

‘Who do we offer to? And a gift of what?’ Arthur’s willingness to learn made Merlin smile, though it fell when Percival continued.

‘Emrys? He’s supposed to be a child of the Old Gods, a human gifted with power beyond belief.’ Lancelot was definitely staring at him now, and Merlin was wondering if he could just run. Honestly, were they genuinely about to pray to him?

‘Wouldn’t want to run into him.’ Arthur murmured, but gave Percival a nod to continue. He led them to the altar, cleared a small space.

‘Emrys likes nature. Do we have any fresh fruit?’ Strawberries were donated from Elyan, while Gwaine put his apple down. Leon reached into his pack and pulled out a flower, blushing when he admitted that he thought the Lady Morgana might have liked it. Arthur stared in shock at his First Knight, but didn’t say anything, watched as Percival poured some water into a small dish.

‘Lancelot? Are you going to offer anything?’ Merlin wished the ground would swallow him up. They didn’t need to offer things, he would obviously keep them all safe, but the Knight didn’t really have a choice.

‘Of course.’ He reached into his pack, took out what looked to be a slice of apple tart. Oh, Merlin wanted to sink his teeth into that, noted how Lancelot winked at him.

‘Sire?’ Percival questioned, before Arthur nodded. He looked to Merlin, who realised he was holding all of Arthur’s stuff, looked into the satchel.

‘Uh…’ There was a slice of cake that Merlin had wrapped, and some blueberries that he had wanted to steal. Arthur took them both, placed them down next to the now plentiful looking meal, and Percival smiled.

‘That will be brilliant.’

‘How do we do this? Is it just a prayer?’ Arthur looked around the dingy Temple, Merlin staring at the food longingly.

‘We say a prayer, ask him to receive the gift. If it’s accepted, I think we should be good to continue through the Temple.’ Merlin was fully willing to accept the gift, apart from the fact it would reveal his Magic to the group.

‘And if he doesn’t accept it?’ Leon asked, looking nervous.

‘Then we can’t continue. I mean, it’s your decision, Sire…’ Percival quickly corrected himself, and Arthur gave his Knight a reassuring nod.

‘I understand. If we are trying to legalise Magic, it would not do well to disrespect his wishes. If we are denied, I shall take it that I haven’t yet proved my dedication.’ Great. Merlin could have groaned in frustration, he was so proud of Arthur! He was doing so well, but he couldn’t accept the offering.

‘Does this Emrys guy help people a lot?’ Gwaine asked, looking at his apple with sadness.

‘It was rumoured he reached the age of power a couple of summers ago. Ever since, Druids have said he answers the prayers of all those who have faith.’ Lancelot looked proud, was smiling at Merlin warmly. The Warlock shrugged, it made sense, to thank those who were genuine. Some weren’t, he could tell when their prayers came that they were only trying to better themselves.

‘Then you should perform the prayer. You are the most connected.’ There were nods, and Percival let his eyes flick shut. The others copied, all shutting their eyes and placing their hands together, while Lancelot looked right at Merlin.

_‘O mighty Emrys, Child of the Gods, hear my prayer.’_ Merlin could hear it, in his head and ringing in his ears. His Magic perked up, rushed through his veins and told him the man was genuine, that he should listen. Lancelot looked slightly surprised, gestured to his own eyes, and Merlin realised his usually-blue gaze had to have turned golden.

_‘We give you an offering of our gratitude, of our thankfulness that you protect these lands.’_ The more Percival spoke, the higher his Magic rose, twitching at his fingertips and begging to be released around them. The ground beneath them trembled slightly, and a couple of gasps spread through the group.

‘Don’t panic, it is just because this is a Temple of the Old Religion. It must amplify it.’ Percival muttered quickly, still unseeing to the fact that Merlin was attempting to sneak away.

_‘In return, we ask only for your acceptance, that we may pass through your Temple.’_ His skin itched, burnt as the words echoed, Merlin’s head spinning. Lancelot actually looked worried now, ready to run to him, but then they would know.

_‘Thank you.’_ Percival finished, and then the others echoed the sentiment. Lancelot did not, because he was running from the steps. The others were opening their eyes, and Merlin was panicking, because he could feel the Temple responding. Could feel the Magic coursing through his veins, the walls shaking slightly as he tried to deny his Magic.

They knew. His eyes had to be burning golden, and Lancelot was speaking, and Merlin had to conentrate.

‘… to do it, Merlin! Accept the damned offer!’ It hurt, oh it ached so badly, and he was barely able to see Lancelot through the blurred mess of tears. He had to, he couldn’t hold it back anymore, he just needed…

‘I accept. I accept the offer!’ His Magic burst free, Merlin dropping to the stone and watching as the food appeared around his body, the blueberries and Gwaine’s apple and that tart he’d been eyeing up. Merlin rubbed the back of his neck, dared to look to Lancelot, who wasn’t watching him.

No, he was staring at the walls around them. Vines had crept in, flowers blooming up the edges of them as they raced towards the roof of the Temple. His Magic had a mind of its own, he decided, staring at the pretty colours now flooding the place.

‘I thought you’d burst.’ Lancelot whispered, and Merlin grimaced.

‘So did I. This place is… terrifying.’ Then he looked past Lancelot, to the friends that he was sure were angry. Percival stepped forwards, staring at him like he was mad.

‘You’re him. You’re Emrys.’ He tried for a casual shrug, but it didn’t do too well.

‘Yeah. I mean, that’s what the Druids call me. But I swear, I don’t usually steal everyone’s food. Or anybody’s food, they just give it to me. I never asked!’ Babbling, before Lancelot’s hand on his shoulder halted him. Merlin sighed, hung his head and then stared at the offerings.

‘We just gave you all our food.’ Gwaine remarked, then laughed. Merlin watched as the Knight came walking towards him, stared at his apple.

‘If I steal it back, will you withdraw your protection?’ He teased, and Merlin threw the apple at his head. The Knight caught it, bit into it, then looked to Arthur.

‘You’ve got Magic.’ It wasn’t the instant hate Merlin had predicted, at least.

‘I only use it to help. Like with Morgana, I’ve been trying to teach her! And the people that pray, they just need help!’

‘People pray to you. You. People pray to my manservant.’ Arthur muttered the last bit, looking thoroughly confused, and Merlin picked up the slice of cake and offered it out.

‘You can have it back?’ He tried, surprised when all the Knights burst into laughter, and even Arthur looked amused.

‘Only you, Merlin.’

**Author's Note:**

> Cute?

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Offerings to Emrys by Impala_Cherry_Trickster](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28441746) by [Ceewelsh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceewelsh/pseuds/Ceewelsh), [oakleaf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oakleaf/pseuds/oakleaf), [Ravin_Pods (Ravin)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravin/pseuds/Ravin_Pods), [Rindle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rindle/pseuds/Rindle), [TheLordOfLaMancha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLordOfLaMancha/pseuds/TheLordOfLaMancha)




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